Wednesday, November 25, 2009

We talk with Alexandra Horowitz, assistant professor of psychology at Barnard College, about her new book, Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know. This engrossing work is inspired by Horowitz’s experiences with her dog, Pumpernickel, and draws upon her own and others’ research in the field of canine cognition. This book expands our understanding of the nature of dogs and provides a channel to seeing and “smelling” the world from a dog’s point of view.Bark: Your fascinating new book, Inside of a Dog, begins with a discussion of canine “umwelt.” Can you tell us more about umwelt and how it might affect our understanding of our dogs?Read More (I'm still reading myself but I wanted to get it up here for you all)

Thursday, November 12, 2009

As a a long time service dog handler I have regularly hear these questions and comments :
10.Is that dog in training? When do you give them up? (No, she's for me.)
9. Where can I get a vest like that? (answer: I don't know, it came with the dog)
8. I wish my dog was that well behaved! (Answer: I can recommend some local trainers)
7. You should teach the dog to pull you. (Answer: Darn! I never thought of that, thanks.)
6. He looks sad. (Answer: you're projecting)
5. How does the dog know where to go? (Answer: He has GPS.)
4. Is that one of those blind dogs? (Answer: I hope not or I'm in trouble)
3. What do you do with the do at home? (Answer: I put him in the closet.)
2. Is that a drug dog? (Answer: Yes, she's under cover as a service dog.)
1. You don't look blind. (Answer: Really? What does Blind look like?)

Friday, November 6, 2009

Guide Dogs for the Blind has set up a reward for the safe return of Gannon, the Guide Dog puppy who went missing from his home five days ago. Anyone with any information about the whereabouts of this three month old Black Labrador is encouraged to call please contact Jim Russell at 209-669-7657 or Guide Dogs for the Blind at 800-295-4050. His puppy family is hopeful someone will find him or if someone has him they will turn him in. For more information seehttp://guidedogs.blogspot.com/2009/11/lost-puppy-update-reward-now-being.html.

Reminder Gannon comes from very identifiable breeding stock, and has unique Tattoo numbers in both ears.

Monday, November 2, 2009

San Rafael, Calif. (FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE) - Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) is asking for your assistance in locating a lost puppy named Gannon. Gannon, a 3-month-old black Labrador Retriever male, is a Guide Dog puppy in training for the GDB puppy raising program.

Gannon was last seen on Friday morning, October 30 near the corner of Armstrong and Davis Roads. He may have been spotted early on Saturday afternoon in the area of Thorton Road, north of Stockton, between 8 Mile and DeVries Roads.

Gannon is being raised by a volunteer puppy raising family in Lodi, Calif. The puppy raiser families teach puppies, like Gannon, to have excellent house manners and socialize them to the world by introducing them to new people, places and experiences.

Gannon, like other Guide Dog puppies in training, stay in their puppy raising homes until they are approximately 15 – 18 months old. At that time they begin their formal guide work training at GDB and are eventually matched with blind students enrolled at the school.

Gannon has tattoos in both ears with his ID number and is wearing a black collar with Guide Dog tags. If you have any information about this lost puppy, please contact Jim Russell at 209-669-7657 or Guide Dogs for the Blind at 800-295-4050.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

The legitimacy and training of service dogs has come up a lot recently, and many of the cases do not have clear solutions. But what about when someone is consciously taking advantage of the privileges granted to service dogs?
With the USDAA Cynosport World Games coming up in Scottsdale, Ariz., I’ve been talking to many of the local competitors about how they’re traveling with their dogs. Some are caravanning in their RVs and others are reluctantly putting their pups in cargo. Read More

Pet Health & Safety

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All opinions in expessed in this blog are exclusively those of the author, excluding comments made by readers. Please bring any issues and clarifications of fact to the author's attention. The intention of this blog is to provide resources to those living with and working service dogs and education on issues in the field. All links and contact information are provided purely as resources, no organization listed is responsible in any way for the content posted on this blog. The author is striving for high quality content at all times.